News Round Up: New York City Tackles Veteran Homelessness, Few People Lost Job in V.A. Scandal, Tech Industry Commits to Hiring 90,000 Vets

We scour the web for the latest news on veterans and compile it here every other week. Here are the top headlines for April 9-23.

Can New York City Actually End Veteran Homelessness This Year?

It’s a lofty goal, but New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio expects to finally end veteran homelessness by the end of 2015. New York City has had one of the largest homeless populations in the country, and it has made significant strides in combating the problem. In 2012, there were nearly 3,800 homeless veterans in New York City. Today, that number is closer to 990. New York City has been encouraging veterans to sign up for federal housing vouchers from the VA, and has moved veterans to the top of waiting lists for state-funded supportive housing, Medicaid-funded housing and affordable units in public and subsidized housing. Some are skeptical of the city’s estimates, but do recognize that the homeless veteran population is declining. Read More

Few People Lost Jobs with V.A. in Scandal

Last spring, the nation was rocked by evidence that the Department of Veterans Affairs in Arizona manipulated wait times to make it look like veterans were receiving treatment faster than they actually were. VA Secretary Robert A. McDonald initially said the department had fired 60 people involved in the scandal, but the VA quickly clarified that only 14 people had been removed from their positions, while 60 others received some form of discipline. New documents released this month shows that the department only punished eight of its employees for their involvement, one was fired, one retired in lieu of termination, one’s termination is pending and the other five were reprimanded or suspended for up to two months. Read More

First Lady: Tech Industry to Train, Hire 90,000 Veterans

Michelle Obama recently announced that the tech industry has committed to hiring 90,000 military veterans and spouses over the next five years. The first lady also said the private sector as a whole has far surpassed the president’s goal of hiring 100,000 veterans and military spouses. Read More